Marking buoy



Aug. 7, 1951 c, 5 2,562,922

MARKING BUOY Filed June 15, 1949 Fred C K is) INVENTOR.

BY 2mm Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED- -STATES ,PAT'ENT OFFICE f,2,5s2,922 M MARKING BUOY Fredil Kist, Mandan, N. Dak. An ia June 13,1949, Serial No. 98,825

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements and structuralrefinements in marking buoys, and the principal object of the inventionis to provide a device of the character herein described, such as may beconveniently and effectively employed by fishermen, or the like, for thepurpose of marking the location of certain areas, such as for example,schools of fish, or the like, on the surface of lakes, rivers, andsimilar bodies of water. Moreover, the invention may also be employed byother persons desiring to designate a certain location in a body ofwater, such as for example, where certain articles were dropped to thebottom, or the like.

The above object is achieved by the provision of the instant devicewhich includes in its construction a float and a ballast connected tothe float by a flexible element such as a length of cord, and animportant feature of the invention resides in the provision of meanswhereby the cord may be conveniently wound upon the ballast and storedin the float, thus not only preventing the possibility of the cordtwisting or becoming entangled, but also, facilitating convenientattachment of the ballast to the float when the device is not in use.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its convenient operation, and in its adaptability toeconomical manufacture.

With the above more, important objects and features in view, and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in use;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the invention when not in use; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane ofthe line 33 in Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the inventionconsists of a marking buoy designated generally by the referencecharacter ID, the same embodying in its construction a hollow float I2formed from any suitable buoyant material and providing a storagechamber I4 having an open bottom, as is best shown in Figure 3.

In addition, the invention includes a ballast it which is preferably inthe form of a disk-shaped a v .base portion I8 provided on its uppersurface with a substantially frusto-conical spool portion 20, the uppersurface of the latter, in turn, preferably being dished or concaved asat 22 and provided with a screw-threaded bore 24 to accommodate ananchor screw 26, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

A flexible element, preferably in the form of a cord 28, has one endthereof secured by means of the anchor screw 26 to the spool portion 20of the ballast I6, while the remaining end portion of the cord 28extends into the chamber I4 of the float I2 and passes outwardly fromthe chamber l4 through a bore 30 with which the upper portion of thefloat is provided, the extremity of the cord being knotted as indicatedat 32.

When the invention is placed in use, the ballast I6 is simply droppedinto water so that it rests on the bottom, while the float I2, connectedto the ballast by the cord 28, will effectively indicate the location ofa predetermined area in the body of water where the ballast has beendropped.

However, when the invention is not in use, the cord 28 is simply woundaround the lower region of the spool portion 20 of the ballast I6 asshown in Figure 3, after which the upper region of the spool portion isinserted into the chamber I4 of the float I2, so that the wound cord isdisposed between the base portion I8 of the ballast and the lower end ofthe float, as shown.

Needless to say, in this manner the cord 28 is prevented from twistingor becoming otherwise entangled, but it is to be noted that the deviceis available for instant use by simply withdrawing the spool portion 20of the ballast from the chamber I4 of the float and unwinding the cordfrom the spool portion as will be clearly understood.

The substantially frusto-conical configuration of the spool portion 20provides a taper to facilitate insertion thereof into the chamber, andit is to be noted that a portion of the cord which extends from thescrew 26 to the spool is frictionally held between the spool and theside wall changes in the details of construction, combination andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

In a marking buoy, the combination of a domeshaped float provided with achamber open at what is the bottom thereof, a ballast including :afrustoconical spool and a diametrically enlarged base affording anoutturned marginal flange at the having one end thereof secured to saidfastening element, the other end portion of said cord ex-" tending intosaid chamber and being anchored to the upper portion of said float, saidcord being adapted to be wound around the lower portion" of said spooland the upper portion of the spool inserted in the bottom of saidchamber, whereby the wound cord is sustained between said flange and.the lower edge of the float and whereby a portion of the cord extendingfrom said element to said spool is frictionally held between the upperportion of the spool and the wall of the chamber to separably hold thefloat and the ballast together.

' FRED C. KIST.

REFERENCES CITED" The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 1 Name Date 2,190,531 Kaboskey et a1 Feb.13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 528,612 France Oct. 28,1919

